As for smaller market teams being forced to spend US$40-million to reach the salary cap floor when they’ve traditionally capped expenditures in the mid-to-low 30s, Nill offers one simple question.

“Isn’t that what revenue sharing is for?” Nill said. “Some teams that normally spent about $32-million are getting an additional $10 to $12 million in revenue sharing. That gets them to the $40-million.”